news - May 2024
CALIFORNIA SENATE DECLARES ‘YEAR OF THE CALIFORNIA GRIZZLY BEAR’ [CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY - APRIL 8, 2024
Posted on May 4, 2024
"The California State Senate today passed a resolution to officially declare 2024 the “Year of the California Grizzly Bear” to mark the 100th anniversary of the extirpation of California’s official state animal. The last reliable sighting of a wild grizzly bear in California was in the spring of 1924 in Sequoia National Park."
"The extirpation of the grizzly bear from California a century ago is the most significant species loss in the state’s history,” said State Sen. John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), author of the resolution. “The grizzly was ecologically and culturally significant to California, and today, 100 years since its disappearance, it remains an important icon for the state, evident by its place on our state flag and seal. This year more than ever, we should reflect upon its loss and do everything we can to ensure no other native species goes extinct under our watch.”"